Philip Seymour Hoffman as the put-upon theatre director in the kind of intense rôle that he's suited to. As with Kaufman's 'Adaptation' (2002), the creative process and actuality are cleverly intertwined; whereas the earlier film is relatively self-contained, 'Synechdoche' becomes a sprawling rumination on love, life and death with the proverbial cast of thousands.
Maybe a bit too clever and sprawling...
There are a number of engagingly bizzare visual gags - American troops in Berlin; the sound of remote gunfire on the New York set; the constantly smouldering flames in the interior of a house; the 'chance' meeting of Caden (Hoffman) and his psychologist on a plane bound for Germany. Strong supporting performance also from Samantha Morton.
Interesting article by Robert Williamson outlining how American indies have retained their original spirit while gradually attracting bigger budgets and stars.
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